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Friday, December 17, 2010

The University of Miami football program and new head coach Al Golden have added three assistant coaches to the existing staff in a limited capacity for the remainder of the calendar year.

Former Temple defensive coordinator Mark D'Onofrio, defensive line coach Jethro Franklin and defensive backs coach Paul Williams will join the Miami staff and be allowed to recruit this week thanks to an NCAA waiver.

The three new coaches will not be allowed to partake in coaching activities until after Dec. 31, but are currently allowed to recruit for UM. The NCAA waiver was approved on Tuesday.

The official response from the NCAA is below:

STAFF GRANTED: The staff granted with the following conditions: (1) Not more than seven coaches may engage in off-campus recruiting on behalf of applicant institution at any one time and no more than 10 coaches may engage in any recruiting activities; (2) The three new assistant coaches may only engage in recruiting activities and may not engage in any other coaching activities. Further, applicant institution must designate three existing assistant coaches who will cease all recruiting activities. The staff noted this request only provides relief from the maximum number of football coaches permitted to be employed by an FBS institution (one head coach and nine assistants) and the waiver is effective through the conclusion of applicant institution's bowl game December 31. The request was granted based on case precedent, the extenuating circumstances surrounding the changes in coaching personnel and the timing of the bowl game.

D'Onofrio, Franklin and Williams led an Owls defense that was the best in the MAC and ranked 17th nationally in total defense during the 2010 campaign. The defense also ranked 14th nationally in pass defense, 15th in pass efficiency defense and 16th in scoring defense.

"We are very fortunate to announce the addition of these three coaches," said Golden. "Their passion and desire for excellence matches that of the Miami fan base, alumni and stakeholders. I felt it was important that they be able to hit the ground running and start recruiting immediately. The NCAA waiver gave us that opportunity and should be an immdediate benefit.

"On a personal note, they are great friends and coaches that I respect tremendously. They know the type of program we want to run - on and off the field - and could not be more excited about joining the proud tradition at The U."

D'Onofrio joins the Miami staff as defensive coordinator after spending five seasons at Temple. D'Onofrio and Golden have a long history, first as teammates at Penn State before becoming colleagues at Virginia. Under D'Onofrio's tutelage, Temple defenses finished among the Top 25 in NCAA statistical categories on 24 occasions. For their prowess, 14 student-athletes garnered All-MAC accolades during D'Onofrio's tenure.

Williams brings 15 years of collegiate coaching experience to the Hurricane staff and has been with Golden and D'Onofrio since the inception at Temple. Under his guidance, Temple defensive backs earned All-MAC honors on four occasions, including two-time honoree and 2010 senior Jaiquawn Jarrett.

Franklin, a 19-year coaching veteran, joins the Miami family after successful stints with three teams in the NFL (Houston Texans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Green Bay Packers) as well as stops at USC and Temple over the last decade. While at USC in 2005, defensive ends Lawrence Jackson and Frostee Rucker were All-Pac-10 first teamers, while Rucker (third round) and LaJuan Ramsay (sixth round) were NFL draft picks.

Current Miami assistant coaches Rick Petri (defensive line), Wesley McGriff (defensive backs) and John Lovett (defensive coordinator) are required by the NCAA to cease all recruiting activities for the Hurricanes, but will remain in a coaching capacity through the 2010 Hyundai Sun Bowl against Notre Dame on Dec. 31. None of the three will be retained after the bowl game.

Coach Golden has not made any other formal decisions on his 2011 coaching staff at this point.

Golden also announced the hiring of Tom Deahn to the Director of Football Operations and Ryan McNamee to the role of Director of Player Development. Deahn and McNamee both filled the same role with Golden at Temple.

Corey Bell and Cindy Abraham-Garcia both departed from the UM staff after serving in the operational capacities the last four years.